Alcohol: Pricing

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the introduction of minimum pricing for alcoholic drinks would have on the viability of public houses, clubs and restaurants; and what is the forecast effect on the closure rate of public houses.

Baroness Thornton: The Independent Review of the Effects of Alcohol Pricing and Promotion by the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) at Sheffield University estimated changes in alcohol consumption and consumer spending in both the on-trade and off-trade for a range of pricing interventions, including different levels of minimum unit price. The effects vary according to the intervention chosen and its level.
	The ScHARR review has already been placed in the Library.

Alcohol: Pricing

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the level of smuggling into the United Kingdom of the introduction of a policy of minimum pricing for alcoholic drinks.

Lord Myners: No assessment has been made of the effect on the level of smuggling into the United Kingdom of the introduction of a policy of minimum pricing for alcoholic drinks.

Anguilla

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards an agreement with the Government of Anguilla over their plans for an economic stimulus to assist recovery from the global downturn.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: We are in regular contact with Anguilla about their desire to increase their borrowing, their financial shortfall and their plans to make significant savings.

Care Services: Free Personal Care

Lord Lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration was given to the Prime Minister's proposal of free personal care at home prior to its announcement at Labour Party conference (a) by the Cabinet, (b) by Cabinet Committees, and (c) in official ministerial correspondence.

Baroness Thornton: Consistent with longstanding practice, information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet committees is generally not disclosed as to do so puts at risk the public interest in both collective responsibility and the full and frank discussion of policy by Ministers.

Civil Service

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce, freeze or contain below inflation remuneration increases for permanent secretaries in the Civil Service.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Government have provided evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body suggesting that there should be no increase in the pay bill per head available for base pay for all members of the senior Civil Service (including Permanent Secretaries) for 2010-11. Copies of this evidence have been placed in the Library.

Climate Change

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 6 January (WA 94), whether any agreement signed by the parties at the Copenhagen climate change conference or any subsequent meetings will be put before both Houses of Parliament under affirmative or negative procedure.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Before ratifying or acceding to a treaty the Government would be required to publish and lay that treaty before Parliament in accordance with the Ponsonby Rule.
	At Copenhagen, representatives of 49 countries reached agreement on a political Accord, copies of which have been made available in the Libraries of the House. This does not have the status of a treaty and therefore the Ponsonby Rule does not apply. Building on the agreements reached at Copenhagen, the Government will continue to work towards a legally binding outcome in the form of a treaty in order to combat dangerous climate change.
	As regards any future treaty, if it is subject to ratification or accession, it would be laid before Parliament under the Ponsonby Rule. If any debate is requested, it would be considered in the normal manner, and arranged in accordance with the internal procedures of Parliament.

Defence: Grob Tutor Service Inquiry

Lord Trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the qualifications and relevant experience of the Royal Air Force officers who carried out the recent inquiry into the accident involving two Grob Tutor aircraft.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The inquiry into the accident on 11 February 2009 involving two Tutor aircraft was carried out by a team of three experienced RAF officers. As with all inquiries of this nature, inquiry teams are drawn from those with recent expertise in the relevant areas. In this case, the team comprised two qualified Tutor pilots with experience of air experience flying and instructing roles and a qualified aircraft engineer with previous experience in aircraft accident investigation.
	Additionally, the team were supported by a range of experts including: service inquiry advisors whose full-time role is to advise on all aspects of aircraft accident investigation process and on the associated policies and procedures and advisors from the RAF's Centre for Aviation Medicine. The team also worked closely and shared evidence with the independent investigator from the Air Accident Investigations Branch on technical and operational issues. Technical advice was also provided by QinetiQ. The range of expertise both within and available to the team ensured that the inquiry was both professional, comprehensive and covered all relevant factors.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much United Kingdom aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo has been allocated for educating children in each of the last 12 years.

Lord Brett: Details of the Department for International Development's (DfID's) expenditure in developing countries is published in Statistics on International Development, which is available in the House Library and on the DfID website at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-DFID/Finance-and-performance/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-International-Development-2009/.
	DfID expenditure for the past 12 years on the education sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo is presented in the table below.
	
		
			 Year £ in thousands 
			 1997-98 0 
			 1998-99 0 
			 1999-00 0 
			 2000-01 0 
			 2001-02 0 
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 61 
			 2004-05 290 
			 2005-06 148 
			 2006-07 95 
			 2007-08 82 
			 2008-09 835

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what international programmes they are promoting to protect and increase the voice of women in the Congo in local and national decision-making bodies, and to ensure their participation in international organisations dealing with political empowerment and human rights.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: We take women's empowerment in the Congo very seriously. Our embassy in Kinshasa has developed a gender strategy to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in the Congo and to tackle the serious and widespread problem of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). We have set ourselves a target of improving the representation of women in local, provincial and national parliaments in the Congo (from 8 per cent in 2006 to 30 percent by 2011), and improving the capacity and visibility of current female elected representatives.
	The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has ratified the international Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, but a serious gap remains between the legal framework that has been put into place and the reality on the ground. Our work to empower women in the Congo therefore focuses on providing support and advice to the Ministry of Gender and helping to build its capacity to mainstream gender issues across the whole of government; lobbying and providing training and support to parliament, political parties and election components; and through providing £58.8 million funding from 2008-2012 to the United Nations Development Programme Governance Programme which works to advocate and promote women's political empowerment.

Economy

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will set alternative goals for national economic policy following the United Kingdom Commission on Sustainable Development and President Sarkozy's high level economic report concluding that goals focused on increasing gross domestic product may not be consistent with sustainable development and efficient use of natural resources.

Lord Myners: The Government recognise that GDP is not a perfect measure of welfare, and that measuring a broad set of quality of life indicators is desirable in informing national economic policy.
	The Government's objective is to build a strong economy and a fair society, where there is opportunity and security for all. While measurement of gross domestic product (GDP) data informs the Government's economic forecasts and related targets for the Government's fiscal plans, the aim of national economic policy is to raise the rate of sustainable growth, and achieve rising prosperity and a better quality of life with economic and employment opportunities for all. This requires other indicators, for example as set out in its sustainable development strategy Securing the Future, available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/publications/uk-strategy/documents/SecFut_complete.pdf.
	The Government publish information on life satisfaction, broken down by socio-economic class, as part of the sustainable development indicators published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and is available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/progress/documents/SDIYP 2009_a9.pdf. Work to develop these indicators presents a number of methodological challenges, which the Government are working to help overcome.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 16 December 2009 (WA 236-7), why the Hampton Implementation Review on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority suggested that the relationship between the Authority and those it monitors could, if left unmonitored, lead stakeholders to question the independence, objectivity and consistency of the authority.

Baroness Thornton: The Hampton Implementation Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) forms part of a series of reviews of the work of 36 national regulators against the principles of good regulatory and enforcement practice first set out in the Hampton report, Reducing Administrative Burdens: Effective Inspection and Enforcement (2005).
	The findings of the HFEA report reflect the views of a team consisting of peer reviewers drawn from other regulators and Better Regulation Executive officials, who visited the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in April 2009. The review conclusions are based on a range of evidence, including interviews with regulator staff and stakeholders.
	In its report, the Hampton review team commends significant aspects of the HFEA's work as well as highlighting some areas for improvement. Since the review, the authority has already undertaken a number of steps to improve processes and address the issues raised. This work will continue, informed by the final report.
	The findings of the report are for the HFEA to consider and it will implement changes as appropriate.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 16 December 2009 (WA 236-37), how the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has responded to the finding in the Hampton Implementation Review on the Authority on making more effective use of sanctions; and what sanctions the Authority would apply on a licensed centre that withholds information inappropriately or provides misleading information to the Authority.

Baroness Thornton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it has nothing further to add to the information I gave in my response of 16 December 2009 (WA 236-37). The HFEA's policy on the use of sanctions is outlined in its indicative sanctions guidance for licence committees, which is available on the authority's website at www.hfea.gov.uk/docs/Indicative_Sanctions_ Guidance.pdf.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Lord Harries of Pentregarth: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the remarks by the Solicitor General, Vera Baird, on 2 December (Official Report, Commons, col. 1226), when they commissioned research on caste from the Equality Commission; and when they expect the commission to report its findings.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Solicitor General's statement relates to a request which the Government Equalities Office (GEO) had, then, recently made to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to take forward the Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance's recommendation that the EHRC should undertake detailed research on caste. The EHRC, which is an independent body, has subsequently indicated it does not intend to undertake research in this area at the present time, although it is discussing the issue with stakeholders.
	GEO is therefore now in the process of seeking an alternative provider for this research on caste discrimination. It is working in consultation with both the EHRC and the Department for Communities and Local Government.

EU: Budget

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what effect a 6 per cent increase in the European Union budget for 2010 will have on the gross contribution of the United Kingdom to that budget.

Lord Myners: Under the 2009 Adopted EC Budget, UK Own Resources payments were set at £10,879 million. Under the 2010 Adopted EC Budget UK contributions were calculated at £11,735 million.
	A key driver for the size of the 2010 budget is the financing of the European economic recovery plan, as well as additional support from structural and cohesion funds for the new member states, many of whom have been hit hardest by the economic downturn. The overall budget increase is also partially driven by the expected acceleration in the delivery of those funds across the EU.

EU: Economy

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings they have planned with the European Commission to discuss the economic agenda for the European Union over the next 10 years.

Lord Myners: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Financial Services Authority

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 5 January (WA 29), when the Financial Services Authority will write to Lord Lucas.

Lord Myners: I have been informed that the FSA will write to Lord Lucas by Tuesday 26 January 2010.

Government Departments: Bonuses

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government for each of the last three years for which figures are available, how many people were eligible for performance bonuses and special bonuses in the Department for Transport and its agencies, by civil service band; how many people received each type of bonus, by civil service band; what the average payment was for each type of bonus, by civil service band; and what the maximum payment was for each type of bonus, by civil service band.

Lord Adonis: An element of the Department for Transports' overall pay award is allocated to non-consolidated variable pay related to performance. These payments are used to drive high performance and form part of the pay award for members of staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, for example by exceeding targets set or meeting challenging objectives.
	Non-consolidated variable pay awards are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against predetermined targets and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs. The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.
	The table below details how many people were eligible for and received a non-consolidated variable pay award and the average and the maximum payment for a non-consolidated variable pay award, by civil service band, awarded under the Department for Transports' standard pay and performance management process for the three most recent performance years.
	
		
			  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  
			  SCS Non-SCS SCS Non-SCS SCS Non-SCS 
			 Number of staff eligible for performance-pay award 171 14313 168 14397 177 11867 
			 Number of staff who received a performance-pay award 130 11367 126 11405 128 9894 
			 Average value of a performance-pay award £9,025 £663 £9,760 £841 £8,107 £1,059 
			 The maximum payment for a performance-pay award £20,000 £1,750 £22,000 £4,133 £15,000 £4,255

Government: Office Equipment

Lord Bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Barbara Follett, on 9 December 2009 (Official Report, Commons, col. 390W), what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500 sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by (a) the Environmental Agency, (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme, and (c) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the latest period for which figures are available.

Lord Davies of Oldham: In the financial year 2008-09 the Environment Agency bought a total of 120,000 reams of white A4 80 gsm paper at £2 per ream (excluding VAT). Total cost for the year was approximately £240,000. The brand of paper bought was called Evolve Office, which is 100 per cent recycled.
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme bought a total of 1,980 reams of white A4 80 gsm paper at £3.29 per ream (excluding VAT). Total cost for the year was £6,514. The brand bought was Evolve and is 100 per cent recycled.
	Core Defra purchased a total of 45,125 reams of white A4 80 gsm paper at £2.09 (excluding VAT). The total cost was £94,177. The brands purchased were Evolve Office and Evolve Business which are 100 per cent recycled.

Government: Office Equipment

Lord Bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Barbara Follett, on 9 December 2009 (Official Report, Commons, col. 390W), what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500 sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the latest period for which figures are available.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: Our posts overseas source and purchase all paper locally. Due to this the information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Government: Office Equipment

Lord Bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Barbara Follett, on 9 December 2009 (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 390W), what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500 sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by the Department for International Development in the latest period for which figures are available.

Lord Brett: The average purchase price of a 500 sheet ream of white A4 80gsm photocopier paper currently paid by the Department for International Development in the UK is £2.62. All such paper is purchased using an Official Government Commerce (OGC) Framework contract.

Government: Office Equipment

Lord Bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Barbara Follett, on 9 December 2009 (Official Report, Commons, col. 390W), what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500 sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by the Department for Transport in the latest period for which figures are available.

Lord Adonis: It is the Department for Transport's policy to use 100 per cent recycled photocopier paper. The mean average purchase price, excluding value added tax, paid by the department for a 500 sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper is £2.08.

Health: Republic of Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they record citizens of the Republic of Ireland who seek medical treatment from the National Health Service; and how that country's government is charged.

Baroness Thornton: Irish citizens seeking scheduled medical treatment in the United Kingdom are required to present an E112 form. This enables the UK to charge the Irish Government, in arrears, for treatment provided. Since October, details of E112 forms have been recorded electronically. This has replaced the previous clerical process and has resulted in a faster and more efficient method for processing and submitting claims to other member states.

Mental Health: Race Equality

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are proposed to tackle mental health conditions affecting the African Caribbean community, particularly schizophrenia, as identified in a recent report by the Institute of Psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made with the planned recruitment of 500 community workers to tackle social issues through 80 new community engagement projects, as set out in the Department of Health's plan for delivering race equality in mental health care in 2005.

Baroness Thornton: The 2006 Aetiology and Ethnicity of Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses (AESOP) study of ethnicity and psychosis in England found rates of psychosis up to nine times higher for African Caribbean communities than for the White British population, six times higher for African communities and increased risks of a smaller degree for other Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups. In contrast, rates in the Caribbean and Africa are comparable to the overall rate in England.
	In December 2008, over 450 community development workers (CDWs) were in post. These CDWs work directly with BME groups in their area, raising awareness of mental health issues and of available services and also highlight the specific needs of these groups to local health services in order to improve their experiences of mental health services. Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health (DRE), a five-year action plan for improving mental health services for BME communities, has developed a better understanding of BME community and service users' attitudes towards mental health and the services provided. The programme has supported the development of 79 community engagement projects nationally to forge partnerships with the voluntary and community sectors (VCS) and to develop the skills base of people involved with small BME VCS organisations. A report describing the work of DRE and an analysis of the community engagement projects is to be published shortly.
	New Horizons-towards a shared vision for mental health, which was launched in December 2009, will build on the work of the DRE programme, consolidating this work into a wider mental health equalities context. This is because it has become increasingly evident that we need to consider all strands of equality together-ethnicity cannot be dealt with in isolation. New Horizons aims to ensure that we have an integrated approach and equalities are an integral part of the programme. A Ministerial advisory group is being set up which will oversee this work.

Minister for the Olympics: Overseas Visits

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Davies of Oldham on 9 December 2009 (WA 135) and to HL722, whether they will publish information on the destinations, purposes, costs and names of those in each official party of overseas visits on ministerial business undertaken by the Minister for the Olympics in 2008 and 2009 prior to and separate from the publication after the end of the financial year of the annual lists of all ministerial travel costing over £500.

Lord Davies of Oldham: In order to provide a record of all Ministerial travel costing over £500 which is both accessible and comprehensive the Government publishes this information in an annual list.
	This information will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year.

Music: Funding

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding the Department for Children, Schools and Families has given to Youth Music in each year since its creation.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not provide the core funding for Youth Music, which comes from the National Lottery. However, there have been several specific projects since Youth Music's creation for which grants have been paid to that organisation, for example Youth Music is the lead partner of the consortium which delivers the £10 million a year Sing Up programme.

Music: Funding

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the £3 million allocated from 2008-11 for In Harmony projects has been spent; and on how many projects.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Just under £1.5 million of the £3 million committed to the government-funded In Harmony programme has been spent so far. This has funded the three projects in Liverpool, Norwich and Lambeth.

Music: Funding

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding Arts Council England has given towards Sing Up (a) directly, and (b) through Youth Music, in each year since the launch of Youth Music.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Sing Up project is funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, not Arts Council England.

Music: Funding

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the Music Standards Fund is used to fund (a) Wider Opportunities programmes, and (b) Sing Up.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The Music Standards Fund, now the Standards Fund Music Grant, is provided to local authorities to fund opportunities for key stage 2 pupils to learn a musical instrument and/or to receive specialist vocal tuition, and to maintain and extend the broadest possible access to music education provision. We do not collect information on what proportion of the Music Grant each local authority spends on its Wider Opportunities programme.
	Sing Up is centrally funded and we have no information on what additional support local authorities might provide to the programme.

Music: Funding

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty's Government which local authorities had music services or an identifiable music service in (a) 2009, (b) 2004, and (c) 1999.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Information on which local authorities had a music service, or access to one, is not held centrally. However, all local authorities have received an allocation through the Music Standards Fund grant since it began in 1999. The grant was provided to protect and expand music services, which at that time were reportedly in decline. By 20051, 20 per cent of music services were less than five years old. Eleven of these were unitary authorities. Six music services, not named in the information source, were established in 2004.
	By 2009 all but three local authorities (Rutland, City of London and the Isles of Scilly) had access to a music service, though not necessarily their own. For example Bournemouth and Poole both use Dorset; Tees Valley covers Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton.
	1 Survey of Local Music Services 2005, the Institute of Education, University of London (DfES Research Report 700)

Ponsonby Rule

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 6 January (WA 94), what is the Ponsonby rule.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Ponsonby Rule requires that before the Government ratify or accede to a treaty, they must publish that treaty as a Command Paper and lay it before Parliament for a minimum of 21 sitting days, or, when circumstances require a degree of flexibility, follow one of the established alternative ways of consulting and informing Parliament.
	The rule arose from parliamentary proceedings in 1924, when Mr Arthur Ponsonby, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs announced the new practice. It has been consistently observed by successive governments since 1929.

Ponsonby Rule

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 6 January (WA 94), what would be the consequences of one or both Houses of Parliament voting against an agreement or treaty on climate change.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Before ratifying or acceding to a treaty the Government would be required to publish and lay that treaty before Parliament in accordance with the Ponsonby Rule.
	The Ponsonby Rule is not currently embodied in statute. It is designed to give Parliament the opportunity to scrutinise, debate and vote on a proposed treaty ratification, but there is no legal obligation on the Government to act on the views expressed by Parliament in this process.

Railways: East Coast

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the weekly volume of traffic to the East Coast website since National Express relinquished the east coast franchise.

Lord Adonis: Monitoring website usage is an operational matter for East Coast and I suggest that my noble friend contacts Elaine Holt, Chair of East Coast with his question at: Elaine Holt, Chair, East Coast, 1st Floor, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DR.

Railways: East Coast

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of passenger congestion at east coast stations as a result of the introduction of ticket barriers; and what are the capital and revenue budgets for the installation of barriers this year.

Lord Adonis: Installation of ticket barriers and monitoring usage is an operational matter for East Coast and I suggest that my noble friend contacts Elaine Holt, Chair of East Coast with his question at: Elaine Holt, Chair, East Coast, 1st Floor, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1 P 4DR.

Railways: East Coast

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of ticket revenue forgone as a result of not having barriers at certain east coast mainline stations; and what impact the installation of barriers will have on commercial franchises operating within areas with barriers.

Lord Adonis: Revenue protection is an operational matter for East Coast and I suggest that my noble friend contacts Elaine Holt, Chair of East Coast with his question at: Elaine Holt Chair, East Coast, 1st Floor, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SWIP 4DR.

Railways: East Coast

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many passenger complaints have been received since National Express relinquished the east coast franchise.

Lord Adonis: Monitoring passenger complaints is an operational matter for East Coast and I suggest that my noble friend contacts Elaine Holt, Chair of East Coast with his question at: Elaine Holt, Chair, East Coast, 1st Floor, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR.

Railways: East Coast

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are employed by East Coast Mainline; and how many were employed when National Express relinquished the franchise.

Lord Adonis: Employee numbers are an operational matter for East Coast and I suggest that my noble friend contacts Elaine Holt, Chair of East Coast with his question at: Elaine Holt, Chair, East Coast, 1st Floor, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR.

Railways: East Coast

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration has been given to capital spending plans on the East Coast mainline for the next ten years.

Lord Adonis: The independent Office of Rail Regulation has considered and approved the capital investment plan put forward by Network Rail for the enhancement of the East Coast Main Line in control period 4, which will be completed by 2014. Additionally, the East Coast Main Line will benefit from investment associated with the Thameslink program, and rolling stock will be upgraded with the planned introduction of Super Express Trains.

Railways: East Coast

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will not relet the East Coast Mainline franchise until after the new timetable for it is introduced in May 2011.

Lord Adonis: The new InterCity East Coast franchise is expected to commence in Autumn 2011.

Rights of Way

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will issue new and clear advice to farmers and land managers who keep cattle and other livestock in fields or land which are crossed by rights or way or are subject to other rights of access.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Health and Safety Executive publishes an information sheet in England and Wales, which provides advice to landowners and farmers on cattle and public access. The information sheet gives specific advice on the legislation, risk assessment and signage. Natural England also provides advice in its publication Managing Public Access.
	In addition, Natural England has recently held a meeting with major stakeholders to reconsider the current Government guidance on cattle, dogs and public access, and how it is publicised to landowners, farmers and the public.

RMS "St Helena"

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of providing a replacement ship for the RMS "St Helena" for St Helena.

Lord Brett: In 2004, the Department for International Development (DfID) commissioned a full feasibility study into future access arrangements for St Helena, which examined the costs and benefits of continuing with sea access through a replacement ship. A copy can be found on the Saint Helena Access Project website at www.sainthelenaaccess.com.

RMS "St Helena"

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by Lord Brett on 16 December 2009 (WS 251), why they are analysing further the costs and options for a replacement ship for RMS "St Helena".

Lord Brett: The UK Government will analyse further the costs and options for a replacement ship in order to ensure that the latest and most comprehensive information is available to compare with the other access options for St Helena.

Schools: Citizenship

Lord Norton of Louth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took in 2009 to enhance the status of citizenship teaching in secondary schools.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: DCSF is committed to improving the quality and effectiveness of citizenship education in English schools.
	In recognition that citizenship is the newest subject in the curriculum, the department has funded a national continuing professional development CPD programme since 2006 to increase the number of teachers with expertise in citizenship. Our current contractor, the University of Plymouth, has developed a course in 2009 that is designed to be more accessible to the citizenship teaching workforce. It is delivered locally to a national specification which is accredited to masters level.
	DCSF made available support for all secondary schools to implement the new secondary curriculum in 2008. This includes support for citizenship teaching as well as overall curriculum design. We have developed and promulgated materials for the new identity and diversity strand within the citizenship curriculum, introduced in 2008, which enables pupils to explore and build a sense of shared identity and values, as British citizens. A Who Do We Think We Are project has been funded by DCSF since 2008 to produce materials for teachers and to engage local authorities in supporting their schools in personalising delivery to match the interests of pupils and the needs of their community.
	DCSF has also invested in developing continuing professional development materials for local authority advisers to use in training and supporting the whole school workforce in designing and delivering effective citizenship in schools, thus providing a means of building and sustaining a trained and effective workforce.

St Helena

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the economy and tourism in St Helena of providing an airport there.

Lord Brett: In 2004, the Department for International Development (DfID) commissioned a full feasibility study into future access arrangements for St Helena, which assessed the effect of an airport on the economy and tourism. A copy can be found on the Saint Helena Access Project website at www.sainthelenaaccess.com.

St Helena

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by Lord Brett on 16 December 2009 (WS 251), what action and meetings are planned following that Statement; and with whom discussions will take place.

Lord Brett: The UK Government will seek information and advice from those with expertise and knowledge of the issues identified in the Written Statement and undertake our own analysis based on this information.

Sudan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they next intend to raise in the United Nations Security Council the role of the Lord's Resistance Army in fomenting violence and instability in southern Sudan; and whether they will request the Security Council to increase the operational presence of the United Nations Mission in Sudan, establish a civilian protection and conflict monitoring system, and create rapid response capabilities for conflict-prone areas.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: We are deeply concerned at the continuing human rights abuses committed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the tens of thousands of people who have been displaced by their activities in south Sudan.
	We raise the LRA in the Security Council on a regular basis and it is likely to be discussed in the upcoming Security Council consultations on the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), scheduled for 26 January 2010. The Government also provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced through the UN's Common Humanitarian Fund and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
	UNMIS has around 10,000 uniformed personnel deployed in Sudan. We do not currently envisage proposing an adjustment to this number. We do however regularly review the performance of UNMIS, including how the mission is deployed. UNMIS and UN agencies in south Sudan regularly monitor LRA activities and assess the scope for redeployment of assets to counter these and other threats to civilian communities.
	We have emphasised the importance of UNMIS working actively to help address conflicts at all levels in south Sudan and prioritise the protection of civilians. In my recent discussions with the Government of southern Sudan (GoSS) I emphasised the importance of GoSS taking the lead in reducing insecurity and taking strategic approach to reducing community level violence, including that perpetrated by the LRA.

Sudan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking following recent reports that the European Union embargo on the sale of arms to Sudan has been broken by shipments of armaments from Ukraine to Sudan which involved two United Kingdom-registered companies, a German shipping company, and a shipping agency run by a United Kingdom national in Mombasa; and what is their assessment of the admissions that those involved in brokering those sales were aware the shipments were destined for Sudan.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: We are aware of reports regarding this alleged breach of the EU arms embargo to Sudan. We take any breach of sanctions or export licensing seriously and HM Revenue and Customs investigates any reports that are brought to our attention, but we can not comment on any current or potential future cases.
	The Government are active in seeking prosecutions in cases where the embargo has been broken. For example, in November 2009, the owner of a UK company was sentenced to prison for selling military equipment to Sudan in breach of the embargo. Further details can be found here at http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/europeandtrade/strategic-export-control/latest-news/notice-to-exporters/page53528.html.

Sudan: Darfur

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will raise in the United Nations Security Council the effect on arms proliferation and insecurity of the sale of arms to African countries; and what action is being taken following the publication in October 2009 of the report of the United Nations panel of experts on the arms embargo on Darfur.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: We do not believe there is currently a need for a formal UN Security Council debate on the effect on arms proliferation and insecurity of the sale of arms to African countries, given ongoing discussions in the UN and other organisations on issues such as sanctions, protection of civilians, responsibility to protect, and the Arms Trade Treaty. The council also regularly discusses such issues as part of other debates; mostly recently during a debate on the UN Office for West Africa on 12 January 2010. We will, however, keep this under review.
	We are deeply concerned by the continuing violence and insecurity in Darfur and by the widespread violation of the arms embargo reported by the UN Panel of Experts in its recent report. We raised these concerns during the UN Security Council's discussion of the experts' report on 15 December 2009. There was no consensus on how to take forward the recommendations made by the panel. A new panel of experts has recently been appointed and we will continue to encourage and support their monitoring and investigation of the situation.
	In our contacts with the Government of Sudan and representatives of the armed movements, we continue to urge them to take urgent action to improve the security situation in Darfur. I raised this subject with representatives of the Government of National Unity during my recent visit to Sudan.

Uganda

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they had at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Trinidad in November 2009 about the Commonwealth's human rights agenda in the light of the Ugandan anti-homosexuality Bill.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The Commonwealth's human rights agenda was discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad in November 2009. During the meeting, leaders agreed to adopt the Trinidad and Tobago Affirmation on Commonwealth Values and Principles which reaffirmed the Commonwealth's commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and human rights covenants and instruments. The affirmation also commits the Commonwealth to strengthening its work in implementing human rights through support for Governments, state institutions and civil society organisations.
	The UK remains deeply concerned about the proposed introduction of a Private Member's anti-homosexuality Bill in Uganda. We used CHOGM as an opportunity to raise our concerns, including by the Prime Minister to President Museveni and I also raised it with the Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa.

Uganda

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the State Department of the United States over representations from civil society to reduce the United States aid programme to Uganda in response to the introduction of the anti-homosexuality Bill in the Ugandan Parliament.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: We have not discussed calls for a reduction in the US aid programme with the US State Department, but we are in close touch with donors to Uganda, including the US, on the anti-homosexuality Bill currently being considered by the Ugandan Parliament.
	I made clear our concerns about the Bill to the Ugandan Foreign Minister in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad in November 2009. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister also raised the issue with President Museveni of Uganda. Our High Commissioner in Kampala has lobbied the Ugandan Prime Minister and other Ministers and continues to raise our concerns in contacts with the Ugandan authorities.

War Crimes

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government under what circumstances they intervene or comment on cases in which a warrant has been issued by a court of the United Kingdom for the arrest of former ministers or officials of foreign states for alleged war crimes.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The Government fully respect the independence of the courts of the United Kingdom. In accordance with standard practice, the Government will provide to the courts information which they request for the purposes of the consideration of a case.
	Arrest warrants can however, be sought and issued without any prior knowledge or advice by a prosecutor. This is an unusual feature of the legal system in England and Wales. The Government are concerned about the impact that the issue of a warrant in such circumstances may have on the international relations of the United Kingdom. It is important that the UK, as a permanent member of the Security Council, is able to talk to all leaders from around the world who are involved in conflicts and disputes, including current and former Ministers and officials. That is not in contradiction to our determination to uphold our responsibilities for so-called universal jurisdiction. We share the cross-party consensus to abide fully by our obligations to uphold international law on war crimes, which we did in 2005 in respect of an Afghan warlord.

Winter Fuel Payments

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many claims for winter fuel payments were made by households in the City of Manchester in each of the last three years.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Information on the number of claims made is not available. The vast majority of winter fuel payments are paid automatically without a need to claim.
	The number of winter fuel payments made to households in Manchester is in the following table.
	
		
			 Year No. of Payments 
			 2008-09* 49,030 
			 2007-08 48,860 
			 2006-07 48,660 
		
	
	*the last year for which figures are available.
	Notes:
	1. Payment figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Winter Fuel Payments

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many households in the City of Manchester are eligible for the winter fuel allowance.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Information on the number of eligible households is not available.
	49,030 households in Manchester received the winter fuel payment for winter 2008-09 (the last year for which information is available).
	Notes:
	1. Payment figures are rounded to the nearest 10.